Why They Jump
by Atra of the Night
Summary: Cable hasn't seen the Matrix in nearly five years, and asks Neo to tell her about it.


Rated: PG-13, to be on the safe side, seeing as it deals with suicide.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except Cable. Please don't sue me, I'm poor!

Notes: This story has been running through my head for the last few nights, and seeing as I just saw The Matrix Reloaded (about time I did too), I thought I should put it on paper. Hopefully, it's not to Mary-Sue-ish. I'm not depressed, not really, but I get depressing ideas. I always feel better once I've written them down! Now read on!

**Why They Jump**

"The little ones behind you are Mouse, and Cable."

Clutching the blanket around his body, Neo took sight of the last two remaining member's of the Nebuchadnezzar. Mouse, a young boy wearing a beanie over a shock of brown hair gave a small smile, but Neo's eyes were drawn to the girl beside him.

She was bald, her hair cleanly shaved off, and her light blue eyes shone out from her pale face. Her head only reached Neo's shoulder, and her clothing hung loosely from her body. She smiled shyly; she looked no more than twelve years old.

Morpheas gripped Neo's shoulders, taking his attention away from Cable. "You wanted to know what the Matrix is, Neo?"

Neo nodded.

Wandering through the Nebuchadnezzar's seemingly endless corridors, Neo still clutched his blanket around him. He wasn't sure why he did it, it wasn't even that cold. But it made him feel better, made him feel safer and more secure. Seeing the sentinels glide through the ancient sewers like deadly sea creatures had made him feel nervous, as though the world outside the Matrix was a minefield that could destroy him at any second.

Most of the crew seemed to have retired to their quarters, but Neo didn't feel tired. He wished he had someone to talk to, someone to help answer his millions of questions.

A swish of water caught his attention. Neo turned to follow the sound, travelling to a part of the ship where he hadn't ventured to before. A few minutes later, he reached what seemed like another level. There, he could see Cable washing the floor with an ancient-looking mop. She looked up as she heard his footsteps, and her thin face broke into a grin.

"Master Neo." She said softly, reaching over to shake his hand. "Cable has been wanting to talk to you for a long time."

Neo shook her hand, smiling slightly. "Nice to meet you."

"Please, sit." Cable gestured to a seat against the wall. She leaned against the mop handle and eyed Neo scrutinisingly. "You seem troubled."

Neo shook his head. "It's nothing." He paused for a moment and looked around. "Just getting used to this place."

Cable dipped the mop into the bucket and let the mop head splat against the floor. "Cable knows every inch of it." She said quietly. She looked back up at Neo. "Cable has never seen the Matrix since she was unplugged. She was nine years old. Cable and her mother were introduced to the real world, and her mother couldn't handle the truth."

Cable spoke of her mother in a casual tone that Neo found a little unnerving. He tried to change the subject.

"So you've never gone into the Matrix since then?"

"Well once, yet that was many years ago, and Cable barely remembers it." She said as she mopped the floor. "Morpheas won't let her go back in."

Neo leaned forward. "Why not?"

Cable shrugged and sat beside Neo. "Morpheas told you about residual self image, yes?" Neo nodded. "Well, he says that Cable doesn't see herself the way she should. He says that it would be dangerous for her to go into the Matrix again."

"Why's that? How do you see yourself?"

Cable remained silent for a long time, then smiled. "Wings." She said softly without looking at him. "She has wings like the angels. And each feather is a different colour: blue, violent, pink, indigo, silver, and more. And she had long hair that goes past her waist. And each strand is a different colour. Like her wings."

Neo didn't know what to say. Yet Cable didn't seem to need a response. She just sat with a small smile on her face. Then she turned to face Neo. "Tell Cable about the Matrix. Please."

Neo turned to face Cable. Her eyes were hopeful. "Wh-what do you want me to say?"

"Just tell Cable what you remember. What's in the Matrix?"

Neo thought for a moment. "Um, buildings." He said, stating the first thing that came to mind. "Skyscrapers which stretch almost as high as the eye can see. And they have windows that look like mirrors." Encouraged by the light shining in Cable's eyes, he continued. "And there are parks in the cities. Parks with trees that the kids climb, and ponds that they sail their boats in."

"I remember trees." Cable said softly, smiling at the memory of their outstretched branches, and their leaves that changed colour with the seasons. She looked up at Neo's face, her eyes wide. "Cable.... Cable's heard stories that people in the Matrix, they- that they sometimes jump from the buildings."

Neo nodded solemnly. Cable narrowed her eyes in confusion. "But why? Why do they jump?"

"I guess..." Neo began slowly. "That they don't want to be here anymore."

Cable shook her head slowly. She still didn't understand.

The next day at breakfast, Cable's words were still running through Neo's head. "_Why do they jump?_" He couldn't understand why they had affected him this way. He remembered falling from that building within the Construct. It had been one of the scariest experiences he could remember, falling without any support, any help, nothing to stop him from smashing into the ground below. Neo inwardly sighed and tried to eat the goop that was supposed to suffice as breakfast.

After a few minutes of conversation, Morpheas entered and ordered Dozer to take the ship up to broadcast level. "We're going in. I'm taking Neo to see her."

As he left the room, an unusual silence fell over the crew.

"See who?" Neo asked.

"The Oracle." Tank whispered.

Neo thought for a moment then stood up. "Excuse me." He muttered as he went out to follow Morpheas.

He caught up with Morpheas on the main deck. "Morpheas, could Cable come with us?"

Morpheas blinked and shook his head. "She stands out too much. It's not safe. For any of us."

"I'll talk to her. I'll make sure she'll look normal."

Morpheas regarded Neo for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. If you can get her to understand that she doesn't have wings within half an hour, she can come.

Later that day, Neo's mind was buzzing with what the Oracle had told him. He noticed Cable beside him as they trudged up the stairs. She gave a small smile that he returned. Her hair was wrapped in an elegant headscarf, and a heavy cloak hung from her shoulders.

A small mew met his ears. He turned and saw a black cat in the doorway. It yawned, shook it's body and walked onwards.

Neo continued walking, but merely a second later, he heard another mew. He turned again, and saw a black cat. It yawned, shook it's body and walked onwards.

"Oh, déjà vu. " Neo muttered.

The others turned around sharply.

"What did you just say?" Trinity asked.

"Nothing, just had deja vu." Neo said.

"What did you see?" Trinity pressed.

"What happened? Cypher asked.

Neo pointed to the doorway. "A black cat went past us, and then another that looked just like it."

"How much like it, was it the same cat?" Despite Trinity's calm voice, Neo could sense her fear.

"Might have been, I'm not sure."

"Switch, Apus." Morpheas ordered. The two nodded and moved off.

"What is it?" Neo asked Trinity.

"A deja vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they've change something"

Cable was shaking, her eyes darting around frantically.

There was a buzz as the electricity was cut. "Let's go." Morpheas ordered, and the group darted up the stairs. When they turned to enter the room, Cable continued up the stairs, running as fast as she could, her face painted with terror.

"_Cable!_" Trinity screamed after the girl, but Cable continued running.

She didn't stop until she reached the roof. She burst through the door, and stopped when she reached the edge. She looked down at the cars moving along the road below her and gulped. It was just like the Construct, but despite this world being fake, this time, the danger was real.

The door swung open again, and Cable spun around.

Agent Smith was standing there, a cruel smile on his lips. He took a few steps forward and raised his gun to aim at Cable's chest.

The fear suddenly left Cable. Her face set with determination, she turned and threw herself off the building.

The wind whipped of her headscarf, and her multicoloured hair stretched out like a flag behind her, each strand glinting in the sunlight. Cable could feel the wind fluttering through the feathers of her wings, but she didn't bother to outstretch them.

Only one thought was running through her head as she fell.

"_So this is why they jump._"


End file.
